Putin discusses Ukraine tensions with visiting Hungarian PM
ABC News
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed tensions over Ukraine with his visiting Hungarian counterpart a day after Russian and U.S. diplomats exchanged sharp accusations at the U.N. Security Council
MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed tensions over Ukraine with his visiting Hungarian counterpart on Tuesday, a day after Russian and U.S. diplomats exchanged sharp accusations at the U.N. Security Council.
The Kremlin is seeking legally binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO that Ukraine will never join the bloc, deployment of NATO weapons near Russian borders will be halted and the alliance's forces will be rolled back from Eastern Europe.
The demands, rejected by NATO and the U.S. as nonstarters, come amid fears that Russia might invade Ukraine, fueled by the buildup of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine's borders. Talks between Russia and the West have so far failed to yield any progress.
Putin hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban in the Kremlin on Tuesday, saying he would brief him about the talks with the West on Russia’s security demands. Orban, in turn, stressed that no European leader wants a war in the region.
